Back To Life
Being an adept mechanic, Unruh began to rebuild and replace parts in an attempt to bring the Dodge back to its former glory. Like any vehicle, one of the first things to be replaced was the tires. A short trip to a local tire company quickly remedied the problem with the weakened tires. Now that the truck sat on new rubber, it was time to address some of the less noticeable problems. Unruh began a thorough inspection of the truck and noticed a few, albeit predictable mechanical discrepancies that would normally go overlooked. The track bar had worn, leaving the axle unstable, so it was one of the first things that had to be repaired. While working under the truck, Unruh realized the excessive wear on the brake pads and rotors, and noticed a leak stemming from the transfer case. Immediately seizing the opportunity to stabilize the situation, he began systematically repairing each discrepancy to get the Dodge rolling back on the road.
The brake pads and rotors were replaced in short order, which gave the truck a new, stronger braking power, but there was still a strange wobble in the Dodge. Unruh's suspicions led him to the front and rear U-joints and ball joints. Every vehicle is built to allow each part to work in concert for smooth operation, so simply repairing the "bare minimum" is never enough. The ball and U-joint repairs were done fast and efficiently enough, and with the truck becoming stable and safe on the road, the last issue to address was the leak in the transfer case.